05/11/2018

I interviewed Sandra when she was CEO of Pet Premium pet insurance company in 2014 (Episode 21). She later left the company and recently helped launch a new entrant into the pet insurance industry - 4 Paws. In this episode, we discuss her journey from the human health industry to the pet insurance industry and what she has been doing to prepare for the launch of 4 Paws. We discuss how her previous experience helped shape the 4 Paws policy...
Read more →

04/23/2018

Recently, Samantha Haxton contacted me after using the Pet Insurance Toolkit in her quest to choose a pet insurance company to insure her pets. After several email communications, I was so impressed with her approach and knowledge she acquired while doing her research that I asked her to be a guest on the podcast. She actually ended up choosing Embrace to insure 3 of her pets and ASPCA to insure another pet. Why two different companies? Listen to find out...
Read more →

10/17/2017

In this episode, I interview Ashley Lyons, the Director of Operational Strategy at ASPCA Pet Insurance about pet insurance claims. We discuss: Ways to file a claim at ASPCA Pet Insurance How claims are processed and paid Precertification of claims Availability of claims processors 24/7 Top reasons claims are denied How ASPCA determines if a pet has pre-existing conditions that aren't covered Waiting periods before a policy becomes effective and why they exist Gray areas when determining whether a claim...
Read more →

08/17/2017

Interview with Katie Huneke, Embrace's director of Territory Outreach, about Embrace360 - their new and innovative product that allows veterinary hospitals to easily introduce their clients to pet insurance, send quote information and electronically submit claims directly to Embrace eliminating the need for faxing paper claim forms. Embrace is able to quickly approve claims and reimburses the veterinary hospital by directly depositing funds into the veterinary practice's bank account. The client (pet owner) only has to pay out-of-pocket for the...
Read more →

07/21/2017

At this time, only half of the pet insurance companies in the United States cover therapeutic diets to help treat medical conditions in dogs and cats. These diets can cost 30-70% more than the diet pets normally eat. This can present a financial burden on pet owners - especially if a pet has a chronic condition. In this episode, I'll make the case from a veterinarian's perspective that these diets should be covered by pet insurance companies. Click to Listen;...
Read more →

04/19/2017

For years there has been a debate about which is better - a pet health savings account or pet insurance. Again, this is one of the most frequently accessed articles on my blog. I address this topic in this episode explaining that the purpose of savings differs from the purpose of pet insurance and how each compliments the other to help you be able to afford your pet's healthcare needs. Therefore, it is wise to have both. Click to Listen;...
Read more →

04/04/2017

Today's episode is the first in a series where I'll be offering tips and advice about common questions and issues that arise about pet health insurance. One of the most frequently accessed blog posts by readers of my blog pertains to pre-existing conditions. In this episode, I'll give you some insight from my perspective as a veterinarian and offer 3 steps you can take to minimize the chances of one of your claims being denied because of a pre-existing condition....
Read more →

01/26/2017

In this episode, I interview Dr. Jason Nicholas, The Preventive Vet, about the recently published updated edition of his book "101 Essential Tips for Puppy or Dog Health and Safety." We discuss: How the new book is more user friendly and what's new. How the information in the book can not only save dog owners money, but in some cases actually save their dog's life. How veterinarians and their staffs can use the book in their practice as an aid...
Read more →

12/20/2016

In this episode, I interview Lynn Thompson, the Associate Vice President of Special Projects at the Hartville Group about their new policy Complete Coverage that was just launched in November, 2016. I had the opportunity to visit with some of the team leaders involved with the launch in Ohio recently where I got a tour of their offices and sat in on a presentation about The Hartville Group and the new policy. In the interview we discuss: The Hartville Group's...
Read more →

12/02/2016

In this episode, I interview Steve Shell (VP of Veterinary Channel Development) and Elyse Cannon (Claims Manager) about the details of their new policy. It offers policyholders broader choices of policy maximums (new unlimited option), deductibles (new annual option), and copays so they can customize a policy that fits their needs at a premium they can afford. We discuss the choices of policy maximums, deductibles, and copays now available as well as coverage for: Hereditary conditions Chronic conditions Behavioral disorders...
Read more →

10/12/2016

Dr. Mary Beth Leininger is the Vice President of Veterinary Relations at ASPCA pet health insurance company. She and her husband formerly owned a small animal practice in Michigan and she was the first woman elected President of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). In this episode, we talk about the recently released North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA) study describing the attitudes of pet owners and veterinarians toward pet health insurance. Both she and I were surprised at...
Read more →

08/03/2016

Figo Pet Insurance Company launched in 2015 with the introduction of a more technology-based approach to the industry. I recently had the opportunity to interview the Founder and CEO of the company, Rusty Sproat, who has an interesting story about how he was introduced to pet insurance and then decided to start a new pet insurance company. Their policy has 3 levels of coverage with the ability to customize your policy and a Pet Cloud that allows access a pet's...
Read more →

04/21/2016

Pets Best pet insurance company reviewed their claims over $500 to determine where pets were treated and found that: Therefore, if your pet experiences an unexpected and serious injury or illness, you have almost a 50% chance of being seen at an emergency hospital or being referred to a specialist. Emergency hospitals often deal with life-threatening problems that need intensive care or even emergency surgery – usually at hours when your primary care veterinarian’s hospital isn’t open. Specialists have more...
Read more →

10/22/2015

Today, VPI launches a new product that they believe is the best healthcare coverage for pets on the market - Whole Pet with Wellness. Unlike their previous policies that reimbursed according to a benefit schedule, this one reimburses 90% of the veterinary invoice after the deductible is satisfied with no annual limit. In this interview with Dr. Carol McConnell, VPI's Chief Veterinary Medical Officer, we'll discuss: A little history of the company and the transition this past year to the...
Read more →

10/06/2015

Jack Stephens, the Founder and former President of Pets Best, retired in the fall of 2014 and Chris Middleton became the new President. In this episode, I talk with him about: His background before coming to Pets Best The reasons behind recent changes to Pets Best policies Details about Pets Best policies that may be unique How Pets Best determines if a pet has any pre-existing conditions that won’t be covered Reasons he believes many pet owners don’t buy pet...
Read more →

07/23/2015

In today's episode, I interview Dr. John Faught, the founding partner in a rapidly growing veterinary practice in Austin, Texas called Firehouse Animal Health Center. We talk about: How the hospital got it's unique name. Why he decided to promote pet insurance in his practice. How he and his staff introduces clients to pet insurance. Why he decided to promote only one company. Which company they use and why. His personal story - how pet insurance came in handy when...
Read more →

06/23/2015

In today's episode, I interview Dr. Bob Beede, co-owner of Intermountain Pet Hospital in Meridian, Idaho. He talks about why they recommend pet insurance in their practice and why they chose Pets Best as the company they endorse to their clients. We also talk about how Pets Best helps them promote pet insurance and he encourages the industry to "think outside the box" in coming up with ways to help veterinarians be more effective in getting the word out about...
Read more →

06/11/2015

Dr. Darlene Cook has owned The Bluffs Pet Clinic in Red Wing, Minnesota since 2001. She is an enthusiastic promoter of pet insurance because she experienced first hand the benefits of having pet insurance when her dog developed a rare form of cancer and her cat swallowed a string. We talk about the process she and her staff used when choosing which pet insurance companies they would recommend to clients and the ways they educate clients about pet insurance. I...
Read more →

05/29/2015

I recently interviewed Dr. Chad Bailey who along with his wife own the award winning Cleveland Road Animal Hospital in Wooster, Ohio. After talking a little bit about his hospital and practice, we discussed: Why the doctors and staff decided to actively promote pet health insurance. Why they decided to promote only one pet insurance company to their clients. Which company they selected and why and whether that turned out to be a good decision. How they go about introducing...
Read more →

05/06/2015

Sebastiaan and Zappa In several past episodes, I've interviewed people who have purchased pet insurance for their dog. In this episode, I interview Sebastiaan who contacted me recently to let me know that he and his wife just purchased pet insurance policies for their 5 cats. He is a reader of my blog and just wanted to let me know that the Pet Insurance Toolkit was helpful while doing their research. They adopted 2 adult cats from a shelter a...
Read more →

04/30/2015

In this episode, I interview Dr. Heather Steyn who started Advanced Animal Care of Colorado in 2011. The practice has grown rapidly - now having 4 doctors who practice very high quality medicine, surgery, and dentistry. She explains how promoting pet insurance has become part of the practice culture and why she believes this has been a significant factor in the unusual growth of the practice. After dealing with several pet insurance companies over the years, she now promotes exclusively...
Read more →

04/14/2015

Marathon Veterinary Hospital in the Florida Keys actively promotes pet insurance to their clients so that over 10% of their clients have pets that are insured. I recently interviewed Megan and Vicki, two of their receptionist who are the designated pet insurance advocates for the practice. However, the whole staff, including the doctors, recommend pet insurance to their clients. In the future, I hope to feature other veterinary hospitals who are having success promoting pet insurance and the impact it...
Read more →

01/27/2015

In this episode, I interview Dr. Barden Greenfield who is board-certified in veterinary dentistry. He was recently elected President of the American Veterinary Dental College. He gives us an overview of the most common dental diseases in pets and why maintaining good oral health can actually help your pet live a longer, happier life. We discuss: Why he decided to specialize in dentistry after being in general practice for several years and what it takes to become a specialist in...
Read more →

10/30/2014

In this episode, I interview a client of ours at The Pet Hospitals at Houston Levee in Cordova, TN. about her quest to find a pet insurance company and policy to insure her dog, Bentley, and how the policy came in handy this year when he accidently ingested Ibuprofen. We discuss: Why she decided to purchase pet insurance for Bentley. The company she chose to insure Bentley and which factors were most important to her when making the decision. The...
Read more →

10/22/2014

In the past several years, policyholders of several pet insurance companies have received renewal notices informing them of significant premium increases - sometimes 30 - 50 - 70 percent or more. When they contacted their insurer demanding to know why, the explanation given often fell short of helping them understand why the increases were necessary. While some policyholders accepted the increase, others dropped their insurance or switched to another company with more reasonable premiums. In this episode, Laura Bennett and...
Read more →

10/01/2014

In this episode, I interview Merrick Wolfe, who was a guest on a previous podcast episode where he talked about switching pet insurance companies when his dog, Frida, was 10 years old. Merrick has kept in contact with me over the past 3 to 4 years and has valuable information to share for those pet owners who are considering whether to purchase pet insurance for an older pet or whether it is wise to switch companies when your pet is...
Read more →

04/14/2014

In January, 2014, the VA contracted with Trupanion Pet Insurance company to pay for 100% of the wellness and accident/illness care for U.S. veteran's service dogs. In this episode, I talk with Lisa Marcotte, Trupanion's Business Development Manager about how the program works for both veterans and veterinarians. We discuss: Why the VA selected a pet insurance company to administer this program rather than continue the program in-house. How the program works. What's not covered. Are pre-existing conditions covered. How...
Read more →

01/02/2014

In this episode, I interview Sandy Boucher, the CEO of PetPremium - the newest pet insurance company in the United States. We talk about: Sandy's background before coming to the pet insurance industry. PetPremium's philosophy of marketing pet insurance. Why PetPremium chose The Hartville Group to administer their policies and the advantages of starting up this way vs. starting from scratch. Specifics about their policies, what's covered, available maximums, deductibles, copays, etc. Which plans have available riders for wellness care...
Read more →

12/11/2013

In this episode, I interview Steve Popovich, the President and CEO of PetPartners and AKC Pet Insurance Company. Just last month, they introduced brand new policies. We discuss: AKC's plan to roll out the new policies in all 50 states and a timetable to completion. Steve's background before joining PetPartner. History of the PetPartners and AKC brand Reasons why AKC dedided to come out with new policies. Details about the new policies. Customization of the new policies that allows pet...
Read more →

09/11/2013

In this episode, I interview Dr. Fran Wilkerson, a veterinary colleague in the Chicago area. She has a very informative website about pet insurance that she was developing several years ago at the same time I was starting this blog. She is one of the most knowledgable veterinarians in the United States about pet insurance and I'm happy to introduce her to you. She shares with us: Why she started her website Some of the "must have" coverages if you...
Read more →

05/23/2013

In the last episode, we got an overview of Trupanion Express and the vision that led to it's development from Trupanion's CEO Darryl Rawlings and COO Howard Rubin. In this episode I talk with Dr. Kerri Marshall who led the team that actually designed the software and is now in the process of implementing it in veterinary practices across America. We talk about some of the details of how it is used in everyday veterinary practice. Click to Listen; Right...
Read more →

02/28/2013

In this episode, I interview Darryl Rawlings, the CEO and Howard Rubin, the COO of Trupanion pet insurance company. We talk about their recently introduced program called Trupanion Express. Darryl Rawlings Howard Rubin Since pet insurance was introduced in the United States in 1982, it has operated according to a "reimbursement" model where pet owners pay their veterinarian and then file a claim seeking reimbursement for covered expenses minus the deductible and copay. Trupanion Express is an innovative alternative to...
Read more →

02/22/2013

In this episode, I interview Dr. Jules Benson, the Vice President of Veterinary Services at Petplan petinsurance company. We'll discuss: His background and what he does at Petplan. The history of the company. The ages and types of pets they insure. An overview of Petplan's policies. How their per-incident deductible works. Why Petplan felt it was important to cover hereditary and chronic conditions up to the full limits of the policy. How pet insurance allows veterinarians to practice quality medicine...
Read more →

02/13/2013

In this episode, I interview Stephen Ebbett, the President of Protect Your Bubble pet insurance company based in Atlanta, Georgia. Protect Your Bubble is one of the newest entrants into the pet insurance industry and is somewhat unique in that pet insurance is just one of several types of insurance that they offer. In this episode, I talk with Stephen about: His background before becoming the President of Protect Your Bubble. The ages of pets they cover. The details about...
Read more →

11/28/2012

Steve Siadek is the Cofounder and COO of Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Company. He kindly agreed to be my guest in this episode and talk about the company and it's policies. We discuss: His background in business and why he got involved in the pet insurance industry. The Healthy Paws Foundation. The vision of the company. What ages of pets can be enrolled and what discounts they offer. Why they choose not to cover wellness care. Their coverage of hereditary...
Read more →

10/27/2012

In this episode, I interview Mike Hemstreet, the owner of the petinsurancereview.com website. In my opinion, it is the best pet insurance company review site available to pet owners. We talk about: How Mike became interested in the pet insurance industry and what led him to start a review site. How the website has evolved over the years to include companies in the United States, Canada, and the U.K. How he evaluates reviews to make sure they are legitimate. How...
Read more →

10/11/2012

In this episode, I interview Dr. Jason Nicholas, the Preventive Vet about how pet owners can keep their pets healthy and happy while at the same time saving significant amounts of money on their pet's healthcare expenses. We talk about: Information that will keep pets safe and healthy and save pet owners money. How the brand "The Preventive Vet" got started. The more preventable problems that veterinarians routinely see like drug overdoses, toxins (e.g.human over-the-counter or prescription medications, grapes/raisins, plants),...
Read more →

09/06/2012

In this episode, I interview Katie Grant, the President and CEO of PetFirst pet insurance company. We talk about: The history of PetFirst. Her background prior to coming to PetFirst. The positions she's held at PetFirst. Why PetFirst recently changed their policies. Details of the new policies. Optional riders available to expand coverages. PetFirst's unique Family Plan for pet owners who want to insure multiple pets. Medical records review to let pet owners know if there are any pre-existing conditions...
Read more →

07/29/2012

In this episode, I interview Dr. Barry Kipperman, a board certified internist and founder of VetCare - a veterinary emergency and specialty hospital located in Dublin, California. Dr. Kipperman wrote an article for DVM magazine explaining why he believes veterinarians have a role in helping prepare their clients for the potential costs should their pet ever face a serious accident or illness. We discuss: The desparity between what pet owners expect the costs of diagnosing and treating their seriously injured...
Read more →

07/11/2012

This episode is Part 2 of the conversation with Laura Bennett, the CoFounder and CEO of Embrace Pet Insurance Company. I encourage you to also listen to Part 1 of our conversation. In this episode, we talk about: Details of Embrace's accident and illness policy. Embrace's Wellness Rewards program. Embrace's Dental Rewards program. How Embrace's medical history review can give pet parents peace of mind when it comes to a claim being rejected because of a pre-existing condition. Embrace's precertification...
Read more →

07/03/2012

In this episode, I interview Laura Bennett, the Co-Founder and CEO of Embrace Pet Insurance Company. We talk about: Who should buy pet insurance. How she became interested in pet insurance and decided to launch Embrace. Why pet insurance has been more popular in the United Kingdom than in the United States. Major brands that may start offering pet insurance in the United States. Her role as the first pet insurance actuary in the United States and how pet insurance...
Read more →

06/20/2012

In this episode, I talk with Merrick Wolfe - another reader of my blog who wrote a guest post detailing his experience of changing pet insurance companies when his dog was 10 years old. In the episode we talk about: His experience with the first company that insured his dog, Frida, and why he decided to switch companies. How he conducted his research to find the company that now insures Frida and details of the policy he selected. Since he...
Read more →

06/02/2012

In this episode, I talk to a reader of my blog who first contacted me in 2009 as she was researching the various pet insurance companies. We corresponded several times and she even wrote a guest post on the blog about the process she used to select a pet insurance company and policy to insure her dog, Kieran. Desiree is going to tell her story in this podcast and it's definitely worth listening to if you're considering whether to purchase...
Read more →

05/24/2012

In this episode, I interview the person who started the very first successful pet insurance company in the United States - Dr. Jack Stephens. We talk about: A famous TV star who was the first dog insured in the United States. Why some pet insurance companies fail and why VPI was successful. What are the factors today that have led to the recent explosive growth of pet insurance that weren't factors when he started the first company in 1982. Claim...
Read more →

04/27/2012

In this episode, I interview Jaclyn Carrington, the Veterinary Services Manager at The Hartville Group. We talk specifically about their brand ASPCA Pet Insurance and the recent roll-out of their new policies. We talk about: The history of the company. Her background with the company and what she currently does. Some general details about ASPCA's insurance policies. Why ASPCA made changes to their policies. How long before these changes become effective in all states. Details of the new policies and...
Read more →

04/17/2012

In this episode, I interview Dr. Carol McConnell at VPI (Veterinary Pet Insurance). Appropriately, this podcast is being published in the month of VPI's 30 year anniversary of offering pet insurance in the United States. In this podcast, we'll discuss: Dr. McConnell's background and what she does at VPI. Who should purchase pet insurance VPI's coverage of exotic pets Pet Insurance vs. a savings account to pay for a pet's healthcare needs Differences between pet health insurance and other types...
Read more →

04/05/2012

In this episode, I interview Dr. Kerri Marshall, the Chief Veterinary Officer at Trupanion pet insurance company. We talk about: What she does at Trupanion. Her background at Banfield prior to joining the staff at Trupanion. Her experience with the electronic medical record and what role it may play in the future of pet insurance, particularly when submitting a claim or medical records needed by the pet insurance company to verify coverage - resulting in a much quicker reimbursement to...
Read more →

03/15/2012

Recently, I read a bunch of reviews people had written about several pet insurance companies. Almost all the negative reviews had one thing in common - the pet owners selected a company to insure their pet based on limited information. In this episode, I address the different ways that pet insurance companies market their policies and how this could influence which company you choose to insure your pet. Dr. Doug Kenney What advice did many of the pet owners who...
Read more →